Cabinet latch



Nov. 18, 1930. R. G. MOORE ET AL 1,782,386

CABINET LATCH Filed May 25. 1928 I IN VEN TORS RAYMOND 5.1100125 mm H -run Dmun-Mnuna.

ATTORNEY.

fUNiIjTE i as" parts of thelatch in separated relation. Similarreferencecharaeters indicate corcording to the present embodiment ofthe in-" vention, comprises a base plate formed x Patented Nov 9 anon or oouNE T Ql 'l" Application filed may 1 23, 1928. Serial 110127 9364.

a -The present invention relates to an improved cabinetlatch, particularly of the type adapted for use on the doors of medicine cabinets, book-case's, and the like, and has for an object to providea simple, compact and' inexpensive latch of this character adapted to effect atight closure, and which maybe oper-' ated to opent he'door byturning the. knob] in c eithefdirectioni A'further object is to pro- 1o vi de a latch which maybe operated with 1 equalfacility, whether appliedto the-right: orleft of the door, andwhic'h may be attached as. a unit, merely-by boring a hole in the door.

Another object is to provide alateh which i 15 may :bejeconomicallyj manufactured from sheetmetal stampings, and permanently as V semb-led by asingle securing operation.

With the aboveand, other objects in view, an embodiment ofthe invention is shown in j the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment Will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of thelatch; a

'Fig. 3isarear elevation of the latch 1n lts normal projected position. 1

Fig.4 is a similar view in retracted relation. 1 a V "Fig; 5 is a perspective view of the several sp g parts throughout theseveral figuresofthedrawings. j

Referring to the drawings, the latch, ac-

from fiat sheet metal and having an aperture 11 near its forward edge, in which the upper end ofa tubular guide member12 issecured by peening over, as=at 13, the plate 10 adapts ed to; besecured to the inner side of the door 14' by screws 15 engaged through holes 16 inthe' plate, said member 12 being engaged 3 in adrilledpassage 17 in the door, w1th within which a portion. of the latch bolt 1 its forward edge substantially flush with TIESQNPAT ENT FFICEA r im y-noun a ew; Ann Aminepu a/11mm, or'nninonron'r, comvnorictrr, 5 -nss1enons TO THE :nassrox coMrAnY, or nnrnenronr, CONNECTICUT, A oonrona;

the out-er surface of the door..jThe base plate-"is provided at its forward edge with an upwardly bent relatively wide flange in;providing a latch bolt guide, the base of this recess being slightly spaced and in par 1 allele relation to the surface of the plate, and

18, having a wide T-shaped cut-out 19 therethe contracted portion of the recess providing 1 retalnlng lugs 20 and 21 at eachlside adapted to engage and retain the latchbolt.

- The rearward portion of thebase plate is of reduced width, and is provided with an upwardly bent flange 22 having a slot 23 therein adapted toreceive and guide the tail por-j f tion of thelatch bolt, as will presently more 1 fully appear, and between said flange 22 and the aperture 11 there is provided a slot 24 spring is adapted to project. i

c l j 701 The latch bolt is rormeci from 'fiat sheet ;metal and comprises "a forward relatively wide portion 25 adapted to have slidingengagementin the cut-out19,a relatively long;

narrow tail portion 26 adapted to have slid ing engagement in the slot '23, and an intermediate portion 27, wider thanthe tail portionto provide abutment shoulders for the spring, and slightly narrowerthan the space between thelugs 20 and 21, topermit easy assembly by first engaging the portion 27 l betweensaid lugs, and thereupon sliding the showing the same bolt inwardly 'to'engage the forward por tion 25 beneath said lugs and'the tail portion in the slot 23. The intermediate porntion 27 isprovided along each of its longi tudinal edges and in rearwardlyspaced relation to the forward portion25 with outward- 1y extendinglug projections 28 and 29,bent.

upwardly, as at 30 and 31, to provide abut- I ment [means for the double-acting latch re traeting' handle means, presently to be de scribed. An elongated slot 32 is provided in j the latchbolt throughwhich said retract ing handle means extends, and which per mits relative projecting andretracting move ment of the latch bolt. I At its'forward edge the latch bolt'is provided With a rearward ly benthook like finger-33 for engagement" 3 with the keeper duringclosing of the. door.

IVithin the tubular guide '12 there is rotatably engaged a tubular post 34, extending at its inner end through the slot 32 of the latch bolt, and having secured thereon an oscillatory retractor plate 35 having laterally extending wings 36 and 37, adapted to respectively engage the lugs 30 and 31 of the latch bolt. The plate 35 is secured by shouldering the post, as at 36, peening over the end of the post upon the upper surface of the plate, as at 38, and indenting, as at 38, to rigidly secure the plate against relative turning with respect to the post. The post is positioned longitudinally, and the plate 35 held in spaced relation out of contact with the surface of the latch bolt, and for this purpose the outer end of the post is reduced and shouldered, as at 39, and is engaged by an inwardly bent flange 40 at the forward end of the tubular guide 12, the outer end of the post being peened over, as at 41. The post is interiorly threaded as at 42, and the threaded shank 43 of the knob 44 is screwed therein, the back of the knob abutting the peened over flange 41 which spaces it from the door surface.

The latch bolt coil spring 45 is engaged upon the tail portion 27, between the intermediate portion 26 and the flange 22, a portion of the spring projecting into the slot 24, so that a relatively large spring may be employed, without increasing the thickness of the complete latch.

The latch keeper is formed of a single piece of sheet metal having a beveled strike portion 46, adapted to be engaged by the finger 33 of the latch bolt, in closing the door, to press the latch bolt inwardly to the point where it enters behind the beveled outwardly bent wedge portion 47 of the keeper. The action between the portion 47 and the spring pressed latch bolt is such that a tight closure is maintained, and any variations that may develop, due to warping of the door, and other causes, will be compensated for.

Normally the latch bolt is projected by the spring, the lugs 30 and 31 bearing upon the wings 36 and '37 of the retractor plate, and maintaining the position of the handle. The bolt is retracted by turning the handle either direction, one of the wings 36, 37 bearing upon its respective lug 30, 31, while the other wing swings into the open space between the lugs 20 and 21. In closing the door the latch bolt retracts through engagement with the keeper, without the necessity for turning the handle.

We have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of my invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, asdefined in the appended claims.

. Having thus described our invention, what handle member engaged in said guide and eX- tending through said slot, and an oscillatory plate secured to said handle member and adapted upon movement in either direction to retract said bolt.

2. In a latch for a movable closure or the like, an attaching plate, a tubular handle guide secured to saidplate and adapted to be inserted in a hole in the closure, a reciprocating latch bolt mounted on said plate having an elongated slot, and transversely aligned projecting lugs at each side of said slot, a rotary handle member engaged in said guide and extending through said slot, an oscillatory plate secured to said handle mem her having portions engaging said lugs of the bolt and adapted upon movement of said plate in either direction to retract said bolt, and spring means acting between said attaching plate and the bolt adapted to normally press the same to projected position.

3. In a latch for a movable closure or the like, an attaching plate having bolt guide flanges at its opposed front and rear ends, the front flange having relatively wide substantially T-shaped opening, the wide portion thereof constituting a bolt guide, the rear flange having a relatively narrow bolt guide slot, a reciprocating latch bolt com prising a relatively wide nose portion adapted to engage the wide portion of said T-shaped opening, a relatively narrow tail portion adapted to engage said narrow bolt guide slot, and an intermediate portion narrower than said nose portion and wider than said tail portion adapted during assembly to engage the narrow portion of said T-shape'd opening, said intermediate portion of the bolt having an elongated slot and transversely aligned projecting lugs at each side of said slot, a rotary handle member mounted on said plate and extending through said slot, an oscillatory plate secured to said handle member having portions engaging said lugs of the bolt and adapted upon movement of said plate in either direction to retract said bolt, and a spring mounted on said tail portion of the bolt and acting between the intermediate bolt portion and said rear flange and adapted to normally press the bolt to projected position.

4. In a latch for a movable closure or the like, an attaching plate having an opening therein, a reciprocating latch bolt mounted on said plate and having a slot, a rotary handle shaft passed through said slot and opening, an oscillatory bolt retracting member secured to said handle member insuperimposed relation to said bolt, and a handle member detachably secured to said handle shaft, said bolt retracting member and said handle member being larger than and in eapable of passage through said slot and opening.

Signed at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, this 25th day of April, 1928.

RAYMOND-G. MOORE. ARTHUR OLAUD-MANTLE. 

